PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
Programme title: / MSc in Clinical NeurologyFinal award (BSc, MA etc):
(where stopping off points exist they should be detailed here and defined later in the document) / MSc
UCAS code:
(where applicable) / N/A
Cohort(s) to which this programme specification is applicable:
(e.g. from 2008 intake onwards) / 2006/7 intake onward
Awarding institution/body: / University College London
Teaching institution: / University College London
Faculty: / Biomedical Sciences
Parent Department:
(the department responsible for the administration of the programme) / Institute of Neurology
Departmental web page address:
(if applicable) / If the course is approved, a new webpage will be added to parallel that of the current MSc courses in Institute of Neurology http://www.ion.ucl.ac.uk/education/msc_clin_neurosci.htmMethod of study:
Full-time/Part-time/Other / Full Time
Criteria for admission to the programme: / Medical qualifications (graduate medical degree), at least 2 years postgraduate experience in clinical medicine, registration with the GMC (or equivalent national authority for overseas students), and at least 6 months previous clinical experience in clinical neurology.
Length of the programme:
(please note any periods spent away from UCL, such as study abroad or placements in industry) / 12 months
Level on Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
(see Guidance notes) / Level M
Relevant subject benchmark statement (SBS)
(see Guidance notes) / At the date of writing, on the general Masters benchmark descriptor is available
Brief outline of the structure of the programme and its assessment methods:
(see guidance notes) / There are 9 modules (details in appendix 2):
Component (all mandatory) / % of total mark / No of credits / Mode of assessment
1. Clinical neurology / 12% / 20 credits / 3 hour written exam
2. Epilepsy and pain / 6% / 10 credits / 2000 word essay
3. Nerve, muscle, stroke / 6% / 10 credits / 2000 word essay
4. Movement disorders / 6% / 10 credits / 2000 word essay
5. Neuropsychiatry and cognition / 6% / 10 credits / 2000 word essay
6. Practical neurology / 15% / 30 credits / Clinical examination
(6 short cases) and viva
7. Theoretical neurology / 8% / 15 credits / MCQ (I hour)
8. Research methods training in neurology / 8% / 15 credits / Peer assessment
9. Research project / 33% / 60 credits / - Dissertation
- viva voce
Board of Examiners:
/ i) Name of Board of Examiners:
MSc in Clinical Neurology
Professional body accreditation
(if applicable):
/ N/A / Date of next scheduled accreditation visit:EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
The MSc in Clinical Neurology aims to provide specialised training in the clinical and scientific basis of a wide range of neurological disorders.
The course will equip students with a deep understanding of disorders of the nervous system and which will be of benefit to their future careers. The course includes a research project and thesis writing which will provide a grounding for future research work. It will provide an excellent basis for a clinical or research career in clinical neurology and related disciplines.
The course will cover the following clinical areas: 1. nerve and muscle; 2. epilepsy; 3. pain; 4. movement disorders and Parkinson’s Disease; 5. neuro-otology and neuro-ophthalmology; 6. stroke; 7. neuropsychiatry and cognition; 8. infections of the nervous system; 9. multple sclerosis and neuroimmunology; 10. Autonomic function and neuro-urology; 11. neuro-oncology and ITU neurology
It is designed for those pursuing a professional career in clinical neurology, either as a clinical academic or a clinician. Candidates are those with a medical degree and some postgraduate experience. It is designed both for international and UK students. It will suit those who are planning or have completed SpR training in clinical neurology or neurosurgery (or other related disciplines).
The course methods will include: (a) a lecture series (approx 100 lectures); (b) clinical teaching – outpatients, inpatients, seminars, workshops, clinical demonstrations, clinico-pathological conferences, grand rounds, training for history taking and clinical examination, seminars, clinical conferences in epilepsy and neuropsychiatry, workshops in neuro-radiology and neuropaediatrics. (c) A research project and dissertation (10,000 words); (d) subspecialist training in a single neurological specialty ,
The assessment methods include: a written examination, MCQ, short case clinical examination, viva voce, continuous assessment and a research dissertation (10,000 words).
PROGRAMME OUTCOMES:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
At the end of the course, the participants should have achieved a broad knowledge of the clinical features and scientific basis of the 11 neurological areas/disorders listed above. This will provide the student with:
· Clinical competence in history taking/examination, diagnosis, investigation and formulation of management plan and therapeutics in these neurological areas/disorders.
· A working knowledge of the scientific basis of these neurological disorders/areas.
· Awareness of major recent developments in research in clinical neuroscience.
The course aims to provide candidates with a sound basis on which to embark upon a successful career in clinical or academic neurology.
A: Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding of: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
The course will cover the following clinical areas: 1. nerve and muscle; 2. epilepsy; 3. pain; 4. movement disorders and Parkinson’s Disease; 5. neuro-otology and neuro-ophthalmology; 6. stroke; 7. neuropsychiatry and cognition; 8. Neuroimmunology, multiple sclerosis and infections of the nervous system; 9. Autonomic function and neuro-urology; 10. neuro-oncology and ITU neurology
(a) Lectures series (components 1-5) / Teaching methods will be:
The lecture series will be delivered by approx 100 basic and clinical academics in UCL in various fields of clinical neuroscience. The lectures are supported by audio-visual aids and supplementary materials e.g. hand-outs of slides (with permissions),
reading-lists and references to original papers and/or reviews. As a general teaching strategy UCL’s MScs are moving towards facilitating learning by e.g. making the lectures more interactive. Among methods which will be used for encouraging more student participation are those which are in current usage at ION and include (1) experimenting with different questioning techniques (2) working in buzz-groups (and reporting back to plenary) and (3) e-mailing students a question/vignette so they can prepare in advance of a lecture.
(b) Seminars and workshops (components 7-8) / Teaching methods will be:
A number of seminars and workshops (about 2 per week in first six months of the course, and 1 per week in the second six months) are offered where students gain both knowledge and some understanding of practical skills related to a
range of aspects of neurological clinical and research. The clinical seminars currently planned are in epilepsy, neuro-oncology, movement disorders, neuro-psychology and cognition, neuro- paediatrics, neuro-immunology and neuro-radiology.
(c) Clinical teaching and demonstrations (component 6) / Teaching methods will be:
Clinical (patient-contact) teaching has always been a popular and instructive form of learning and there is considerable experience of this at Institute of Neurology. The students will receive 2X sessions per week of formal bedside teaching (inpatients and outpatients, clinical conferences) each week in the first 6 months of the course, and one session in the second six months. In the second six months, they will be also exposed to the clinical activities of the subspecialist team (ward rounds, outpatients, teaching sessions). Throughout the whole year, students will also be expected to attend grand rounds, clinico-pathological conferences, clinical demonstrations and students will also have full access to the very active general teaching programme at the Institute of Neurology.
d) Research dissertation (component 9) / Teaching methods will be:
Students will have a research assignment and be asked to write a dissertation (10,000 words) on this (in the second six months of the course). This will allow students to gain an opportunity to further understanding of chosen topics in an independent learning situations and using clinical research tools.
Each student is assigned an individual personal Tutor. who monitors the student’s academic achievement and attends to their pastoral care.
/ Assessment:
The students will be by:
(1) One 3-hour written examination paper
(2) Clinical case examination – 6 short and one long case and viva voce
(3) Dissertation (marked by two examiners) on research project and viva voce.
(4) Continuous assessment of clinical aspects by panel of tutors and supervisors
B: Skills and other attributes
Intellectual (thinking) skills: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:Students will be especially encouraged to
examine evidence critically.
Workshops will be offered on such topics as the collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of data.
There will opportunities to learn how to conceptualise theoretical problems in experimental terms. These aspects will be carried out in small group seminar and workshop settings.
Critical appraisal skills will be developed. At the workshops, students will be asked to participate in a variety of ways (eg workshops covering presentation skills and the skills of giving constructive feedback).
Generally students will be encouraged to develop
self direction, originality and critical thinking via
consultation with their supervisors and tutors throughout the course and particularly in the
research project (during the second six months).
/ Assessment:
Intellectual skills will be assessed by the mock examination, the written examination, the research project dissertation and the viva voce examinations.
C: Skills and other attributes
Practical skills (able to):(a) Clinical skills / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
In the 11 clinical areas listed above, students will be expected to have developed knowledge and practical clinical skills sufficient to provide a basis for: (a) Clinical examination and history taking and the approach to the patient with neurological disease (b) diagnostic competence; (c) knowledge of appropriate investigations and (d) the ability to formulate a management plan and therapeutic approach. In the second six months of the course, these will be taught in greater depth for one of the main neurological sub-specialties (where possible tailored to the students preference).
Assessment:
These will be assessed mainly at the written examination, continuous assessment and the clinical long and short case examinations and related viva voce.
(b) Research design, data collection, analysis and dissertation writing / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
This will be learned in the second six month project. Students undertake a main research project. The project is intended as an exercise in scientific investigation that is written up and presented as a dissertation. Students have an opportunity depending on their choice of course to experience all major components of research i.e.: searching
the literature; formulating an hypothesis; principles of research design; developing good working relationships and integrating with multi-disciplinary teams; data collection, coding and analysis; statistical techniques, discussion and interpretation of results and the writing of a dissertation.
Assessment:
Assessed by the examination of the dissertation, and also viva voce.
(c) Literature searching: Teaching/learning methods and strategies: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Literature searching, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and the principles of critical reading are taught in research training seminars. Aspects of literature searching and handling data-bases are also covered during induction sessions by library staff. Practical experience is gained when students carry out their research project.
Assessment:
Assessed during the main research projects marked and at the viva voce.
(d) Managing references: Teaching/learning methods and strategies: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Reference Manager software taught by library staff.
Assessment:
Assessed indirectly when library
project and research project marked.
e) Data-analysis and statistics: Teaching/learning methods and strategies: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
The students will have 5 workshops in statistics and also data analysis and statistics will be covered in various lectures. Students are encouraged to consult statisticians individually at the design stage of research projects.
Assessment:
Assessed indirectly as an important
component of the dissertation (Results, Study
Design, Data-analysis and Discussion sections).
f) Presentational skills, critical appraisal of literature, how to handle exminations and vivas / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Students will learn these skills in the workshops (specifically addressing each point). These workshops will encourage interaction and in some the students will act as examiners.
/ Assessment:
Continual assessment and performance in examinations and viva voce.
D: Skills and other attributes
Transferable skills (able to):(a) Clinical skills / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
Listed above (history taking, examination, diagnosis, approach to investigation, approach to management and therapeutics
/ Assessment:
These will be assessed mainly in the long and short case examinations and also the viva voce examinations.
(b) Writing skills: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
These will be honed by a research training seminar which will cover: (i) writing essays; (ii) writing up a dissertation; (iii) the structure and logic of scientific writing
Assessment:
These are assessed mainly in the written exam paper and the research dissertation.
(c) Asking and refining research questions: / Teaching/learning methods and strategies:
These will be honed by the research training seminars and practically by literature searches, data analysis and dissertation.
Assessment:
Will be assessed mainly in the research dissertation and viva voce.
The following reference points were used in designing the programme:
· the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/default.asp;
· the relevant Subject Benchmark Statements (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/default.asp);
· the programme specifications for UCL degree programmes in relevant subjects (where applicable);
· UCL teaching and learning policies;
· staff research.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course unit/module can be found in the departmental course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed annually by UCL and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Programme Organiser(s) Name(s):
/ Prof. S Shorvon
Date of Production: / June 2006
Date of Review: / September 2007 & June 2008
Date approved by Head of Department: / June 2006
Date approved by Chair of Departmental Teaching Committee: / June 2006
Date approved by Faculty Teaching Committee / June 2006